On Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:38:00 +0000, bonbon wrote:

It's that time of year again! The little humming birds are out, and
thick......this (Houston) is one of their last stops before taking
their long journey across the Gulf of Mexico. I was sitting out back
the other morning having my early morning cup-a-joe and a humming bird
whizzed right past my head. I quickly dashed into the house and dug
out a feeder. Filled it up with extra sweet nectar and hung it out
back near the patio. In no time at all, there were about 6 birds
buzzing around it. Everyone is hungry, but it seems that only one is
actually allowed to eat. He's a gorgeous green bodied bird with a
white collar and a red throat, but he's such a little bossy pants. He
runs everyone else off. We finally got another feeder and hung it out
front. Much to our amazement, bossy pants is now guarding both
feeders by flying back and forth over our roof top.

I'm not sure what else I can do. Any advice would be more than
welcome.


Male Ruby Throated Hummingbirds are territorial, but I wouldn't expect
much territorial activity during migration. I suspect he is a local
resident, though maybe a temporary one. If you want him to leave one
feeder alone, you will have to put it somewhere outside his territory. I
have no idea other than trial and error for finding out what its limits
are.

I have only one active feeder - just outside a kitchen window that has an
inside shelf for the cats, and while I see territorial activity, it's
never as strong as you describe.


--
T.E.D. )